Juvenile Justice in Texas

By
The Zendeh Del Law Firm, PLLC
|August 14, 2017

If you are a parent whose son or daughter has gotten in trouble with the
wrong side of the law, you probably have a
lot of questions, and reasonably so. Here, we wanted to give you a quick explanation of the
juvenile justice process in Texas. If you need legal help, don’t hesitate
to contact our firm directly. Your child may be in a tough spot, and we’d
be glad to offer you guidance.

Suppose your child got in trouble. Will they be under the juvenile court’s
jurisdiction? It mostly depends on your child’s age. Your son or
daughter would be considered a “child” and under the juvenile
court’s jurisdiction if he or she is:

Between the ages of 10 and 16, or

17-years-of-age, but under 18, who is accused of delinquent conduct.

(Source: §51.02(2), F.C.)

Essentially, the juvenile court loses jurisdiction or authority to handle
a juvenile case once the juvenile has his or her 18th birthday. While
children below the age of 10 cannot be prosecuted if they commit a crime,
children as young as 7 may receive services from the Texas Department
of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) if the children are likely to
get into more trouble.

When a Child is Reported

A juvenile case begins when a child’s misconduct is reported to a
local law enforcement agency. Such behavior can be reported by school
personnel, concerned citizens, community officials, or even the child’s
own parents. Once law enforcement gets involved, the police may do one
of the following:

Provide a warning notice (for minor offenses).

Take the child into custody (this is not an arrest).

Note: If a child is taken into custody, he or she is not to be left unattended
while at the juvenile processing office; the child has a right to be accompanied
by a parent, a legal guardian, or by the child’s defense attorney
under §52.025(c), F.C.

We are only scratching the surface in regards to the juvenile justice in
Texas. If your son or daughter has been taken into custody in Plano or
Dallas, we urge you to
contact our firm to schedule a consultation with a member from our
top-rated legal team!

The information on this website is for general information purposes only.
Nothing on this site should be taken as legal advice for any individual
case or situation. This information is not intended to create, and receipt
or viewing does not constitute, an attorney-client relationship.